Prayer Study

Study on Prayer.

Purpose:

We need to know how to pray. This in a sense, I’m thinking about some of our new members they need to know how to pray. But also some of our regular members need to know how to pray too. You need more to your prayer than saying “Hallelujah” 500 times. You need more to your prayer than giving of thanks.....we get more hallelujah’s and thank you Jesus’ in than anything else.

I want us to be more productive in prayer. We want to see things getting done and accomplished in prayer. We want God to move when we pray. God says I appreciate the praise......but what can I do for you?

So tonight’s study we are going to deal with intercessory prayer. I know we’ve studied this before......but we need to study it again. Some of us didn’t get it the first time around.

The Lord reminded me of what I said Saturday at prayer and he told me I need to teach the people.

Initially I was going to teach you about communion tonight, but the LORD said another time.

What is prayer?

Ans: According to the Old Testament grammar; prayer is defined as intercession or supplication. It is a plea or petition that is set before God.

The root word of intercession is what?

Ans: Intercede.

What does intercede mean? Ans: It means to plead on one’s behalf, it also means to mediate or to interpose. It finally means to intervene or pass in between.

Examples of prayers of intercession in the scriptures:

Old Testament Examples

Genesis 20:17 KJV

So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

Numbers 11:2 KJV

And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

We see here in scriptures two examples of something disastrous happening. Matter of fact, we see that God’s judgement is being executed in both cases.

What is happening here, first, we see Abraham interceding, getting in between Abimelech and God and praying for Abimelech and his wife, and his maidservants and The LORD answers Abraham’s prayer by allowing them to bare children.

Why did God smite Abimelech in the first place? ANS: Because he took Sarai (Abraham’s wife) as his own wife.

Our second example, deals with the Israelites being smitten of God. The bible declares that the people of God began to complain about their hardship. WHEW......that’s a tough one that hits home. Tell your neighbor......don’t complain......have faith in God.

They started complaining about the process. They were on their way to a better place and sometimes in life, you might have to go through some difficulty to get to that better place.

We too....are on our way to a better place. Where are we going? Eventually to the manifested physical kingdom of God......new heaven and new earth.

Before we get there guess what.....we are going to have difficulties in life to, the process that we as Christians have to go through isn’t easy because there is some suffering involved. But instead of complaining......have faith in God, trust Him!

The Bible declares that the LORD heard their complaining.....they were not grateful to the LORD for delivering them. Matter of fact some of them wanted to go back to the way they were living before.

That’s how the devil tries to deceive us, because with some people after you get saved the devil tries to attack you. And then he tries to suggest to you that life was easier when you weren’t serving God, life was easier before you got baptized in his name, then the devil will try to put pressure on you to get you to backslide and go back to Egypt.

But you have to have faith in God, you gotta stick with Jesus, don’t complain, don’t murmur (LORD help me) trust God and praise Him for where He is taking you!

So the LORD gets angry and He sends a fire to rage among them and he destroyed some of them in the uttermost (outskirts) part of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses for help and the bible says that Moses prayed to God and when He prayed to God the fire stopped.

Moses interceded on behalf of the people.

Now let’s turn to the New Testament and look at examples of prayers of intercession.

New Testament

To look at examples of prayers of intercession, we need look no further than Jesus Christ.

I found out something amazing about Jesus or rather realized something about Jesus. During his whole earthly ministry, he did not (according to the scriptures) pray a prayer of intercession until right before he was crucified.

All of the healings he performed, he did not pray a prayer of intercession........he was the intercessor.

The people were suffering, and he interceded by healing them of their diseases, by delivering them from demonic oppression and possession, a couple of times he interceded and delivered them from death.

He simply spoke, sometimes he would perform an act, and they were healed. He would command things to happen by just speaking and it had to line up with his will. He never prayed that someone be healed.....he commanded that they be healed, he commanded that demons would come out, he commanded that life would come back in a persons body.

The New Testament many times declares that he would often go alone to pray. Now we do not know that in his personal prayers if he prayed prayers of intercession. But Jesus prayed often and from the aspect of the Son......although God was in Him.....he understood that the human flesh is weak. On the hierarchy of creation, we are ranked second lowest on the creation scale. Although.....get this we are created in His image.

Hiearchy:

God

Angels

Humanity

Animals

Jesus told his disciples “The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Prayer is what gives us strength and helps us to overcome the flesh.

And in order for Jesus humanity to line up with the will of the Father......he had to constantly pray. He was teaching us.....and if Jesus had to continually pray......then we definitely have to pray.

There were times when Jesus would go up in the mountain and pray all night long.....because he knew what he would face the next day.

Prayer produces power!!!!

But getting back to the subject matter.

The scripture from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, not a single prayer of intercession was recorded. Not until we get to John’s gospel.

John 17:9–20 KJV

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

So let’s break this down so that we can understand what Jesus is praying about. Matter of fact tell your neighbor......”Jesus prayed for me!”

Jesus said my prayer is not for the world but for those you have given me (His disciples.....not just present.....but also future disciples).

Jesus said all who are mine belong to you and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. We as Christ’s disciples ought to bring glory to Jesus.

Watch this next one, Jesus says I am departing out of this world but they are staying in this world, I am coming to you.

Jesus then says “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” So Jesus prays a prayer of protection by the power of the name of the Father.

Then in verse 15 Jesus prays that the Father would keep them safe from the evil one!

Jesus prays in verse 17 for the Father to make his disciples holy by your truth......and Jesus says “Thy word is truth.”

Look at verse 20, Jesus says that he not just praying for his current disciples, but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message (that’s us today)

He prays in verse 21 “I pray that they will all be one.” Let me stop there......The Lord Jesus has prayed that we all be one......he wants us to be one.......He does not want us to be divided but unity. He prays that we are so united that we are like he is with the Father, and he prays that we all would be in him and the Father.

Again in verse 23, he prays that we experience perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

Finally......Jesus prays in verse 24 that those whom the Father has given him, will be where he is! The LORD has prayed for you......He has prayed that where he is......we will be there too! Look at your neighbor and tell them.....”if Jesus prayed for me.......I gotta make it!”

Then Jesus finally prays a prayer of intercession while on the cross. He prays for his enemies. According to our flesh, Jesus is suppose to be mad at his enemies. You get mad at people that hurt you, you get mad at people that lie on you, you get mad at people that make fun of you, you get mad at people that disrespect you.

But Jesus wasn’t built like that. Instead of being mad, instead of calling down fire to consume them, instead of being vengeful and plotting how to get back, instead of saying hurtful words to them, Jesus intercedes on behalf of his enemies.

Luke 23:34 KJV

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

But the greatest intercession Jesus made.....was that he interceded on our behalf when he died for our sins!

That’s why Hebrews 7:25 says:

Hebrews 7:25 KJV

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Last scripture of the night:

So Paul commands Timothy (and the church):

1 Timothy 2:1–4 KJV

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

So when we pray, how do we pray or what do we pray. Listen, when you set time aside to really pray....it’s going to surpass five minutes. It’s going to surpass 15 minutes. All the stuff that is going on in the world, in the church, in your family, in your friends life, in the city, in the government, and in your personal life and all you can give the LORD is 5 minutes......15 minutes?

Paul says we should pray first of all we pray for all people.

EVERYBODY.......EVEN YOUR ENEMIES. We should pray and ask God to help them, intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. YOU MEAN THANK THE LORD FOR MY ENEMIES.....THE ONES THAT’S TRYING TO DO ME HARM......THE ONE THAT IS GETTING ON MY NERVES? YEP.

Paul then says pray for kings and all who are in authority. But the problem with that is if you read the history of the church, it was the kings and the rulers that gave the church the most problems.

We need to pray for our government. We are seeing laws passed that we know are against the will of God. Some of these politicians may be believers just like you and me, but because of the pressure they face from the world, they approve of laws that are totally against the will of God.

We gotta pray.......so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and honesty/dignity. He lists different types of prayer:

Supplications

Prayers

Intercessions

Thanksgiving

Now there was something here that kind of threw me off. Because supplications is a prayer, intercessions are a type of prayer, giving of thanks is a type of prayer. So I wondered why Paul mentioned “prayers” there.......it stuck out to me.

So I had to research it. In this text “prayers” means address to God.......it means to have a conversation with God. You need to talk to God, sometimes when we pray, we think that prayer is all about what we need God to do for us. But sometimes we just need to talk to God......without the requests!

“Prayer” also means “a place set aside or suited for the offering of prayer.” It can be church, it can be a special place in your house, it could be a place at work, it could be a special place by a lake, a special place in the mountain, it can be your car, it is a place set aside where it is just you and God.......and you talk to God!

Next week:

Next week we will deal with prayers of supplication, we will examine the Lord’s Prayer as well.

Examples of prayers of supplication:

The prayer of supplication is a personal plea or request dealing with personal issues. It means you ask the LORD to do something for you personally. It is asking for aid.

In the Bible days, when one needed aid, they came to the one who was able to provide aid with an olive branch, intertwined with white wool and fillets, to signify that they were suppliants. They needed help.....they needed aid.

Let’s look at one passage of scripture in the Old Testament:

2 Chronicles 6:19–39 KJV

Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee: That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place. Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive. If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house; Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness. And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house; Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers. When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them; Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance. If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be: Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house: Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:) That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name’s sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house; Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name. If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near; Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly; If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.